The person who can
actually claim to have been responsible for the introduction of the Tank is open
to some doubt. Winston Churchill, in 1915 The First Sea Lord of the
Admiralty, had been responsible for introducing armoured cars to patrol the
channel coast. Encouraged by the success of these he was enthusiastic
about the adaptation of them to break the stalemate in the trenches and he
diverted naval funds to create the first experimental landships. Sir
Ernest Swinton, who in 1914, was the official British correspondent with the
British Forces in France, originally suggested the concept and specification of
the first tank. (He was serving with the Forces in the Boer War in 1900.
On 13th June 1900 he visualised the "tank" as a means of negating machine gun
fire.) He engineered their acceptance and created the original
tactics. Despite all the opposition from the non - techs and in
competition with the other demands of the munitions industry, the first fighting
version of the tank was demonstrated on February 2 1916. This first tank
was nicknamed "Big Willie"; being an abbreviation of the designers
name and a contemptuous name for the Kaiser's son and has gone down in history
as "Mother". The present 2 Royal Tank Regiments are the direct
descendants of the Armd car engineers of 1914, the Naval Brigade and the RNAS
Sqn which augmented the British Expeditionary Force for the defence of Antwerp
in August of that year.

The Tank

The name "tank"
was really a codeword. To preserve the secret of the invention for as long as
possible. "Landship" was the original term, but the shape of the
vehicle under tarpaulins led to suggestions of containers and cisterns.
Eventually, the word Tank was chosen. This tank also had turrets, a box
and a stern, and was armed with naval 2 pounder guns. It was actually
intended that members from the Royal Navy would man the first tanks but the pay
for serving with the Army was less; therefore volunteers were hard to come
by. Initially the first tanks were manned by a newly formed branch of the
Heavy Machine Gun Corps, each man given an arm badge depicting the Mother Tank.

Battle of the Somme

"A" Company,
the forerunner of the First Royal Tank Regiment. was formed under the command of
Major C M Tippetts, South Wales Borderers, at Elvedon in Norfolk. They
moved to France in October 1916. They were just too late to take part in
the first tank action on September 15 on the Somme. Despite bad terrain,
mechanical problems and the dispersion of tanks into small groups, the arrival
of a handful of these monsters on enemy positions struck terror into the
Germans. Although no great success was achieved in this particular action,
since so few tanks reached the front line, it did prove that the Allies had a
valuable new weapon of great tactical potential.

The Tank Corps

In July 1917, after many
months of heavy fighting, further reorganisation of the Heavy Branch was given
when it was established as a separate Tank Corps. Colonel Elles, later to
be Sir Hugh Elles, was appointed its commander together with a staff to organise
the training and "A" Company was renamed "A"
Battalion. By early 1917, it was planned to launch a major offensive
incorporating the entire Tank Corps of 3 Brigades (378 Tanks) backed by six
infantry divisions and 1000 guns. The attack was original in concept
because the Tank Corps was allowed to select the most suitable terrain over
which to advance; though not the strategy of the battle. The aim of the
offensive was to smash through the Hindenburg Line, a very strongly defended
trench system backed by 2 canals. Nine miles behind that line lay the
small town of Cambrai. At first light on November 20 1917, Brigadier
General Elles led the first line of tanks forward from his own tank
"Hilda". From his tank he flew the very first flag of the Tank
Corps. Bands of brown red and green silk colours which came to symbolise
the passage of the tanks "from mud, through blood to the green fields
beyond". All 9 battalions of the Tank Corps took part in the attack
and were organised in three waves. The first wave of tanks carried
fascines which were dropped into the trenches to allow the tanks to cross. They
had the job of breaking through the wires and trenches of the Hindenburg
Line. The second wave was to secure the crossing of the St Quentin
canal. The third wave was to exploit the breakthrough and cause havoc in
the enemy's rear.

On the 24th of January 1917 a snow fight between B and C Companies of A
Battalion was organised. B Company was to attack the village of Eclimeux
and a lorry was used for this purpose. This lorry arrived in Eclimeux
and the men inside immediately leapt out and captured C Company’s
Orderly Room. While they were engaged in this pleasant pastime a bold
representative of the latter Company crept from cover and turned off the
petrol on the lorry. The result was that, when hard pressed by superior
numbers, B Company attempted a retreat when it was found that the lorry
would not start. It was quickly captured and its unfortunate occupants
had the doubtful pleasure of having their noses rubbed in the snow.
Thank Gareth Davies for that.

Tank Tracks near Anneux

By midday, the tanks had
broken through the defences to a depth of 4 miles and by early afternoon, 2 of
"A" battalion's company commanders had even reconnoitered as far as
Cambrai itself. By the 22nd more ground had been won than in any
comparable period of the war. But this brilliant demonstration of the
value of tanks was marred by the abject, pathetic failure of the Staff, Infantry
and Cavalry to seize the opportunity to exploit the breach and a German counter
offensive more than restored the original lines!

My thanks to Pete Corrigan for the following
article:

Daily Mirror - November
22nd 1917

Great British Victory - Over 8,000 Prisoners'Important Progress' - German Reinforcements Driven from VillagesSCOTTISH TROOPS ADVANCE OVER FIVE MILES

Counter-attacks Against Our New Positions Smashed - Tanks Again Give Great
Assistance in the Push

Our Great Victory

The surprise attack on the
Hindenburg Line, delivered by General Sir Julian Byng, has been crowned with
magnificent success. British troops, aided by the fine work of the tanks, have
penetrated German defences to a depth of five miles, captured many villages
and strong points, and taken over 8,000 prisoners. Our cavalry are also
reported in action and are pouring through the Hindenburg Line.

French Push

Our Allies have also struck a blow in the Craonne sector, advancing a
quarter of a mile on a front of 1,100 yards south of Juvincourt.

Byng's Drive Through Hindenburg Line

Splendid Successes West and Southwest of Cambrai

British Official)
General Headquarters, Wednesday 10.30pm
Important progress has again been made today west and southwest of Cambrai,
though rain has fallen continuously. The reinforcements which the enemy has
hurried up to the battlefield to oppose our advance have been driven out of a
further series of villages and other fortified positions, and many additional
prisoners have been taken. Tanks have again given great assistance to
the advance. On our right we have made progress in the direction of
Crevecoeur-sur-L'Escourt. Northeast of Mannières we have captured the enemy's
double line of trenches on the east bank of the Canal de L'Escourt (the
Scheldt Canal). Sharp fighting has taken place in this neighbourhood and
hostile counter-attacks have been driven off. North of Marcoing, the village
of Noyelle de L'Escourt was captured early in the morning. Here also heavy
fighting has taken place, and hostile counter-attacks have been successfully
repulsed. During the morning Scottish troops moving northeast from
Flesquieres captured the German defensive lines southwest of Cantaing and the
village itself, together with 500 prisoners. Later in the day they
contained their advance and have established themselves in positions more than
five miles behind the former German front line. North of Annex West
Riding battalions have been engaged with the enemy south and southwest of
Bourlon Wood. Further west Ulster regiments have crossed the
Bapaume-Cambrai road and have entered Moeuvres. During the day strong
hostile counter-attacks against our new positions in the neighbourhood of
Bullecourt have been defeated. The number of prisoners which have
passed through our collecting stations exceeds 8,000 including 180 officers.
The number of guns captured has not yet been ascertained.

Led By Tanks

(British Official)
Germany, Headquarters, Wednesday 12.15pm
Yesterday morning the Third Army, under the command of General the Hon. Sir
Julian Byng, delivered a number of attacks between St Quentin and the River
Scarpe. These attacks were carried out without previous artillery preparation
and in each case the enemy was completely surprised. Our troops have broken
into the enemy's positions to a depth of between four and five miles on a wide
front, and have captured several thousand prisoners and a number of guns. Our
operations are continuing. At the hour of the assault on the principal
front of the attack, a large number of tanks moved forward in advance of the
infantry and broke through the successive belts of German wire which were of
great depth and strength.

Second for System Taker

Following through the gaps made by
the tanks, English, Scottish and Irish regiments swept over the enemy's
outposts and stormed the first defensive system of the Hindenburg Line on the
whole front. Our infantry and tanks then pressed on in accordance with
programme and captured the German second system of defence more than a mile
beyond. The latter is known as the Hindenburg Support Line. In the course of
this advance East County troops took the hamlet of Besavia and Lateau Wood
after stiff fighting. English rifle regiments and light infantry
captured La Vacquerie and formidable defences of the spur known as Welsh
Ridge. Other English county troops stormed the village of Ribecourt and fought
their way through Costelet Wood.

Rapid Progress

Highland Territorial battalions
crossed the Grand Ravine and entered Flesquieres, where fierce fighting took
place. West Riding Territorials captured Havriacourt and the German trench
system north of the village, while Ulster battalions covering the latter's
left flank moved northwards up the west bank of the Canal du Nord. Later in
the morning our advance was continued and rapid progress was made at all
points. English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh battalions secured the crossings of
the canal at Mannieres and captured Marcoing and Neuf Wood. The West Riding
troops, who had taken Havriacourt, made remarkable progress east of the Canal
du Nord, storming the villages of Graincourt and Annex and, with the Ulster
troops operating west of the canal, carried the whole of the German line
northwards to the Bapaume-Cambrai road.

Territorials' Fine Work

West Lancashire Territorials broke
into the enemy's positions east of Epehy and Irish troops have captured
important sections of the Hindenburg Line between Bullecourt and Fontaine-les-Croisilles.
The number of prisoners, guns and material captured cannot yet be estimated.
The spell of fine dull weather which favoured our preparations for our attacks
broke early yesterday. Heavy rain fell during the night and the weather is now
stormy. (Reuters' correspondent, British Army) France, Wednesday It is
believed that during yesterday's operations over 5,000 prisoners were
captured.

The Air Ministry

Mr Bonar Law, in answer to a
question, told the House of Commons yesterday that Lord Cowdray's resignation
as Air Minister had been accepted. A successor had not yet been appointed

Berlin Hiding the Truth of
Haig's Surprise

Foe Say British Attack Was Heralded by 'Strong
Artillery'

(French Official) To the west of
the Miette, about 3.00pm today, we attacked a salient in the German line to
the south of Juvincourt on a front of about 1,100 yards and an average depth
of 440 yards. Our troops reaching all their objectives captured the strong
defences of the enemy. In the course of this operation we took 175 prisoners.
Between the Miette and the Aisne our patrols brought back about forty
prisoners. The artillery fighting was lively throughout this region. (German
Official) Wednesday night. In the afternoon strong French advances were
commenced on the front from Craonne to Berry au Bac. (The distance from
Craonne to Berry au Bac is about six miles. Craonne on the Chemia des Dames,
is about 12 miles southeast of Laon. The Hindenburg Line runs:
Douai-Cambrai-La Cateau to St Quentin-La Fère-Laon.)

Our Cavalry Pour Through the Gap

Horsemen Take Batteries And Cut Down Gunners

(From a Special Correspondent) War
Correspondent's Camp, Wednesday. We have torn to shreds the Hindenburg Line.
At its strongest points the cavalry are pouring through. Early yesterday
afternoon all the trustworthy news pointed to a glorious success. The
cavalry were moving up to cross the German lines in the direction of Cambrai
many hours, indeed before them, and there was a sense of open fighting as
opposed to years of underground warfare which exhilarated the whole Army.
But great progress has been made since then and today one passed along
numerous lines of horsemen moving in the right direction. Two bodies of them
charged enemy batteries, cut down the gunners and captured the guns - in our
case three, in the other, I think, seven guns.

Byng's Secret

Rarely has a more dramatic stroke
been delivered in war than we dealt the Germans yesterday, says Reuter's
special correspondent at the Correspondent's Headquarters, France. We have
penetrated into the great impregnable Hindenburg Line at numerous points in a
wide thrust, and it was primarily the tanks that did it. The attack seems to
have come upon the Germans as a complete surprise. Care had been taken to
render it a surprise, the greatest secrecy being offered in regard to our
plans. A fleet of tanks had to be brought up close to the line. The
ground, except for certain narrow areas is dry and well covered with thick
grass, the withered growth of last summer making excellent going for tanks or
men.

Airmen Give Foe No Rest

(British Air Official)
10.30pm On November 20 our aeroplanes attempted to work throughout the day
in conjunction with our operations between St Quentin and the River Scarpe.
Low clouds and mist and a strong westerly wind, with drizzle and occasional
rain through out the day, made it necessary for our pilots to fly at 50 feet
from the ground. Even at that height they were at times quickly lost in the
mist. Continual attempts were made to regain contact with our advancing
troops, but this was rendered almost impossible by the weather conditions.
Many bombs were dropped on the enemy's batteries, lorries, aeroplanes,
transports and railways. Batteries and small groups of infantry were
attacked with machine-gun fire. Valuable information was gained despite the very
difficult conditions. Only five hostile machines were seen all day on the
battlefront. Eleven of our machines are missing, their loss being due to the
mist and the exceptionally low height at which they were compelled to fly.

The End
of World War 1

On 18 August 1918, the
greatest concentration of tanks ever in WW1 moved into the attack at
Amiens. Over 600 tanks of all types were involved in this massive attack
which broke through up to 20 miles in depth in some areas and the shock of its
success did more than anything to hasten the German's premonition that the end
of the war could not be delayed for very much longer. It was a victory in
its own right and one in which tanks, artillery, aircraft and infantry
cooperated to the fulfill a plan in which surprise and concentration of effort
played a most notable part.

Between
the Wars

With the Armistice, the
1st Battalion was moved back to England to form the 1st (Depot) Battalion at Bovington, Dorset and later formed the Tank Corps Depot. Then, despite the
fact that the Corps was engaged in operations in Ireland, India, Mesopotamia,
Egypt, Palestine, Russia and China, the reaction against the wartime success of
the tanks set in. With the somewhat unlikely ally of a bankrupt Treasury,
the horses lobby ( remember that these were old fashioned "fuddy
duddy" officers who refused to enter the 20th century) set out to prove
that the Cavalry was still a war winning weapon, despite the recent evidence to
the contrary. The granting by King George V of the pre-fix
"Royal" to the Corps only relieved the gloom for a time as Tank men
fought for recognition in their own country while Germany and Russia set
training manuals to prepare their countries for expanding armoured forces for
war. At last, in 1934, the Royal Tank Corps was allowed to expand a little
and the 1st was reformed as the 1st Battalion at Tidworth. But even the
very limited development of our Armoured Forces had to de disrupted when the
Italians invaded Abyssinia and posed a threat to Egypt.

modern day Bovington Camp

Anchor Line SS California carrying 1 RTR to
Egypt

The First was
hastily embarked to reinforce the small garrison and form part of the Mobile
Division. This Mobile Division was later to be renamed 7th Armoured
Division - the First were founder members of the legendary "Desert
Rats".

The
First Royal Tank Regiment

By 1939, the Cavalry
Regiments of the British Army lost their horses and became mechanised. It
was now necessary for all armoured forces to be brought into one organisation
and the Royal Armoured Corps was formed. To avoid having a Corps within a Corps,
the Royal Tank Corps was renamed the Royal Tank Regiment on 4th April 1939 and
inherited the dress and customs of the Tank Corps. Amongst these customs were
the wearing of black berets by all ranks and the carrying of ash plants by
officers. The black beret came about because it was impossible, when
wearing a peaked cap, to see through the visor of the tank as it lurched across
the battlefield. General Elles therefore introduced a beret similar to
that worn by the French 70th Chasseurs Alpins, black being considered the most
practical colour. To avoid getting their tanks bogged down in the mud of
the western front, the officers of the Tank Corps developed the practice of
walking in front of their tanks and tested the fitness of the ground with sticks
cut from ash trees. Hence the adoption of the ash plant, carried even today by
officers of the Royal Tank Regiments. In addition the Royal Tank Regiment
is the only Regiment entitled to wear black overalls and to bear the tank arm
badge as a sign of tank crew proficiency.

The
Desert Campaign

In June 1940, as part of
General Wavell's plan to confuse the Italians, the First went into action in a
number of small raids across the frontier in the area of Fort Capuzzo. Following
the Italians' invasion of Egypt, the First, still serving in the 7th Armoured
Division and equipped with A9s as well as light tanks, took part in the
successful advance on Sidi Barrani and the resultant full scale attack on Tobruk,
Derna and Nechile. The Regiment was also involved in the attempted break-out by
the Italian Forces at Beda Fomm and this action, which lasted for 24 hours,
resulted in the capture of 20,000 Italian soldiers and 112 tanks. After these
actions, the First returned to Cairo to re-equip with Matildas, A10s and A13s.

By December
1940, General Wavell had amassed 40,000 men for a limited offensive with which
he planned to drive the 250,000 Italian Force from Egypt. The First Royal
Tank Regiment, equipped with A9s as well as light tanks, took part from the
start in this. Advancing on Sidi Barrani, the 7th Armoured Division broke
through an undefended gap resulting in the capture of 20,000 Italians.
General Wavell quickly seized the chance of turning this limited offensive into
a full scale attack and the 2 divisions advanced to Bardia, where many
more Italian prisoners were captured and onwards to Tobruk.

(At
the first siege of Tobruk the 1st Royal Tank Regiment used 16 Mk VI light tanks
to deceive the enemy into thinking there were more tanks in the garrison).. By the end of
the campaign, 130,000 Italian soldiers had been captured, together with 6
generals and 112 tanks. After advancing for 800 miles against an enemy
using 5 times as many tanks, 1 RTR returned to Cairo to refit with Matilda's,
whilst the remaining British Forces advanced a further 80 miles. The
problem of supply halted the advance. It was at this critical period that the
German Afrika Corps, landed at Tripoli, joined up with the retreating Italians
and launched a counter offensive.

1 RTR advance at Tobruk

In April 1941, 1 RTR was
hastily moved to the forward areas. B Sqn and C Sqn, together with A Squadron 7
RTR arrived at Tobruk just before the Germans encircled the town in their advance towards the Egyptian border. Meanwhile A Squadron 1 RTR joined
with 7 RTR and fought with them. As soon as the German offensive was
halted, the 2 A Sqns were exchanged, a destroyer making the return trip in one
night. The Regiment remained in Tobruk for the whole of the siege, an
episode of which it is very proud, especially as it was the only Regiment of
armour or infantry to do so. B and C Sqns were re-equipped with General Grant
Tanks and A Sqn with Stuart or Honey Tanks. But by the end of May 1942,
Rommel had rebuilt his forces and was able to launch a heavy attack. In
June 1942, the Battle of the Cauldron was now in full swing and the Afrika Corps
managed to consolidate their gains in spite of all our efforts. The battles at
Gazala and Knightsbridge were lost and with them most of the British Tank
strength. In these battles the Germans used to great effect the 88mm
(image right) which
outranged our weapons by 1000 yards. after a night withdrawal through the
Tobruk minefields that was fraught with hazards since the lanes were no longer
marked, the remains of the Regiment reformed on the east side and were hurriedly
re-equipped with Honey and a few General Lee tanks. By this time Tobruk
had fallen and the Afrika Corps had crossed the wire on the Egyptian
border. The remains of the Regiment were now formed into a column together
with some motor infantry, some 25 pounder guns and a few anti tank guns with the
task of covering the withdrawal of the 8th Army. German pressure continued
and gradually the column fell back towards the El Alamein Line which was being
hastily prepared. The First was one of the last units to reach the line
and the supply of petrol was so critical that several tanks had completely run
out and were being towed.

88mm and below Honey Tank

October 1942. After
2 months of building up supplies, the 8th Army was ready for the
offensive. 1 RTR was now re-equipped, A Squadron had Crusaders (right) and B and C
Sqns with Grants and Sherman's.

The Battle of
El Alamein
started at last
light on the 23rd October 1942. After 10 days of intensive fighting, when
casualties on both sides were extremely heavy, 2 corridors had been punched into
the German defences to the north. The Regiment moved up with 7th Armoured
Division to exploit the breakthrough. It pushed through the gap and decimated
the remnants of the German and Italian Forces. The way was now open for a
rapid advance and in the next 15 days the "Desert Rats" advanced 800
miles. As the "Rats" approached the Mareth Line, Rommel seized
upon the opportunity to try and destroy them. To meet the threat the Division
set firm on the commanding ground at Medinine whilst reserves were rushed
up. They arrived just before the German attack, which was broken with a
loss of 52 German tanks - to which NONE of ours were lost.

Whilst the 8th Army was
advancing through Libya, the 1st Army and the Americans had landed to the west
of Tunisia at Algiers a race ensued to Tunis between the 1sy Army and the
8th. During May 1943, after the capture of Sfax, the 7th Armoured Division
were suddenly transferred from the 8th Army, after a well concealed march of 130
miles, joined the 1st Army. The Division, with the 11th Hussars, 1 RTR and
5 RTR in the lead, were the first to reach Tunis. In such a large city it
is impossible to substantiate claims, but a Gunner Officer, attached to 1 RTR,
well remembers being shot at from BEHIND by another Regiment claiming to be
the first! Thus the African Campaign drew to a close. The Regiment was not
required during the Sicily Campaign and was able to rest and refit before
preparing for the landings in Italy.

In July 2007, I had an email stating that 1 RTR, at
this time, were equipped thus: At Alamein,
the RHQ and 'A' Squadron were equipped with Stuart tanks, and 'B' and 'C'
Squadrons were equipped with Grant tanks. The regiment received its first
Sherman tanks after Alamein. Writers source is the 1RTR War Diary
(WO169/4504), which has a detailed daily tank state. (Verification please, if
possible?).

The
Italian Campaign

In September 1943, the
Regiment took part in the Salerno landings and were involved in a series of battles around Mount
Vesuvius which guarded the approaches to Naples. The 1st RTR handed over
their tanks to the Canadians, went on leave to various parts of Italy and Capri
then returned to England, landing at Glasgow early in the New Year of 1944.
Preparation and training then started for the landings in France during which
time 1 RTR were re-equipped with Cromwell Tanks.

The
Campaign in North West Europe

On 7 June 1944, D Day +
1, 1 RTR landed at Arromanches with other units of 22 Armd Bde,7th Armoured Division, 3 days
later, was in action south of Bayeux. The job of the British Army was to
provide a firm hinge by which the Americans, to the right, could break out and
outflank the Germans. The enemy used 8 armoured divisions in the Normandy
battle and during the whole period of these operations more than 6 of these were
kept engaged on the British sector. Consequently there was heavy fighting
in the difficult "Bocage" area of Normandy where there were small
fields interlaced with 3 foot high banks on which grew hedges 6 to 10 feet
high. In these battles tanks frequently engaged each other at less than 50
yards range and crews confined to turrets all day due to concealed snipers in
hedges and barns. On 1 July 1944, the Desert Rats were pulled out to rest
and refit. on 17 July they concentrated north of Caen and took part, on
the left flank, of the breakout from the city. This was against extremely
heavy opposition, leading to 8 tanks in C Sqn being knocked out in a 3 hour
battle.

August 1944, after 1o
days of heavy fighting south of Caen, the Division moved back to the Villers
Bacage region. To the right of the British, the Americans had broken
German resistance and were sweeping round in a gigantic hook. British
Forces immediately attacked to cut off the Germans in what became known as the
Falaise Pocket. The Allied advance turned north across the River Seine and
destroyed the remainder of the German Army in France. 1 RTR was in the
vanguard of these operations but was later called back to clear up large pockets
of Germans that had been bypassed. The
First, in particular C Squadron, was instrumental in capturing Lisieux during
the Falaise Pocket engagement and, subsequently, the Regiment was in the van of
the advance to the River Seine. The Regiment then moved north to
protect the left flank of the Guards Armoured and 43 Infantry Division, who were
advancing to relieve Arnhem and during this operation one troop of A Sqn 1 RTR
captured in half an hour, a group of enemy anti tank guns and infantry that had
held up another Regiment for 24 hours. From October to December 1944, the Regiment, as
part of the 7th Armoured Division, took part in the capture of Undenhaut,
Oosterhaut and the River Meuse. It was whilst defending the line of the River
Meuse that two squadrons of the Regiment dismounted and acted as infantry.

December 1944. Just
before Xmas, the Regiment moved onto German soil and became one of the few
Regiments to spend Xmas 1944 on German soil. Allied offensive operations
were halted at this period whilst Hitler's Ardennes offensive was
defeated. With this defeat, more mopping up operations were needed in
which 1 RTR was engaged, until February. This was undertaken in deep snow
and bitter cold. The tanks were whitewashed and many of the crews acquired
white capes, usually made from sheets taken from local houses. On the icy,
cambered, roads, tanks became difficult to steer and in one or two instances
roads became blocked by tanks which found it easier to move sideways than
forwards!

In March 1945, after a
pause to regroup, the Regiment was used in the breakout from the Rhine
bridgehead. Pockets of German resistance were encountered armed with tanks, SP
guns and bazookas. The need for speed was paramount in order to ensure
that the war did not last a day longer than necessary. Opposition was
bypassed, high casualties accepted. When the Division was held up in
thickly wooded country, the Regiment advanced 10 miles, by night, through German
positions. As a result, bazooka men and anti tank guns were overrun and
Germans sitting safely in the rear were surprised by the appearance of 30
Cromwell Tanks thundering down the road in the darkness of the early
hours!

From this area the Regiment moved eastwards, crossing the Weser at
Neinburg and advanced on Hamburg. Resistance (still mostly bazookas) was
constantly set but advances of 40 - 50 miles a day were common. In April
1945, 1 RTR halted just outside Hanburg, a suburb of Hamburg, on the south back
of the Elbe. This occurred just before the German Armies capitulated.

May 1945. With
peace, the Regiment concentrated in Gluckstadt, in July moving to Belgium, to
Moll, to refit with Comet Tanks.The Regiment then moved to Schleswig
before moving on to Berlin. Here, in August 1945, the Regiment, commanded
by Lt Col Hobart motored into Berlin on its tracks to join 11 Hussars and the
non-armoured parts of 7th Armoured Division. From the aerial of the
Commanding Officers tank flew the flag that had been made by Lady Elles for
General Elles to fly from his tank when he entered Berlin in 1919. In
March 1946 the Regiment returned to Schleswig Holstein.

The Regiment moved to
Detmold in July 1946, where it remained for 6 years. In
September 1950, the
Regiment had joined the reformed 11th Armoured Division, thus severing a
connection with the Desert Rats, which had lasted, apart from a few months,
since the Division was formed in 1939. During this period it was the first
Regiment to be equipped with the new Mk3 Centurion. (image right) The First were also the
first Regiment to receive National Servicemen. In September 1952, the
Regiment moved to Tidworth where it prepared for embarkation to Korea. The Regiment was put on 8 hours notice to move and remained
in this state of readiness until sailing for Korea, from Liverpool, on
27 October about the Empire Halladale.

The Regiment landed in
Korea on 6 December 1952, within 24 hours of arrival had taken over in the line
from the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards. A Sqn was on the right of
the Commonwealth Division Front and B Sqn on the centre sector. C Sqn was held
in reserve in Gloster
Valley, previously the site of the Glosters epic
stand. Due to the nature of the war, tanks were in dug out pits to protect
their suspensions and lower parts.

Their main role was to
dominate "no mans land". This they did by engaging enemy movement,
observation posts, and occupied trenches and by firing in support of out own
patrols. They could bring down fire more quickly and with more accuracy
than the artillery and so were more useful in supporting patrols and in sniping
work. Among the many precedents the Regiment claims to have set in Korea was a
unique liaison with American Tanks. A Squadron was the first to establish
this liaison when they arranged for American tanks to direct shoots for
them. This also worked very successfully in reverse when A Sqn directed
American tanks on to targets they were unable to see. It is thought that
this is the first time where international fire orders have been employed!

In the six months that
the Regiment was in the front line they fired nearly 26,000 rounds of High
Explosive as well as thousands of boxes of BESA, and some AP and smoke. No mean
feat for the echelons operating in a climate ranging from 40 degrees below in
winter to roads knee deep in mud in the wet summer months. The
Commonwealth Division did not yield any ground in spite of the most determined
efforts of the enemy. This feat was not without its cost, infantry battalions
sustaining heavy casualties. The Regiment was fortunate in having only 1
killed and some 20 wounded, although several tanks were damaged. One of
the soldiers who joined the Regiment at this time was a young lad called
"Nobby Clarke". (He later went on to be the Regimental Sergeant
Major, when I was with the Regiment, and later he became Lt Col Clarke at
Bovington Camp. We all love him dearly and were distraught when we heard that
his wife, Edna, had been killed on a road, by a tank, operated by a
learner driver, which hit her
car.)

The Regiment sailed back
to Shandur in the Suez Canal Zone in 1954. Its role in Shandur was to provide
protection to British interests in the Canal Zone, with the added threat of
another outbreak of fighting between the Arab Nations and the State of
Israel. With the signing of the agreement to evacuate Egypt, the Regiment
finally embarked at Port Said in August 1955. The Regiment then moved to
Tidworth, but was then mobilised for the Suez Crisis. Tanks were repainted sand
colour and were moved to a small TA Unit near Weymouth in Dorset, not far from
Bovington. In late October, when the decision to attack Suez had been
made, 1 RTR sailed in LSTs with RHQ and the Squadrons, leaving the echelons to
follow in a fast troop ship timed to arrive together at Port Said.
However, on 11 November, they were signalled into Malta and told to disembark as
the Campaign had been halted. The Regiment returned to Tidworth in the New
Year of 1957, to be posted to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong

Here the Regiment had the
distinction of being the last regular unit of the British Army to be equipped
with the Comet Tank. Re-equipped with Centurions in 1960, the Regiment
sailed for Germany where it was stationed in Hohne, once again reunited with 7th
Armoured Division.

Comet

Centurion

Aden to
Ulster 1965 - 1973

The Regiment left Hohne
for the Middle East in November 1965. B Squadron became the independent
squadron in Hong Kong. The rest of the Regiment took over in Little Aden
in December 1965, being rejoined by C Squadron in January 1966, from
Bahrain. During the 12 month tour the Regiment was engaged in internal
security operations in Aden. The Regiment had 4 Chieftains in Aden on
desert trials. They had to carry loads of spare bulbs as the lights kept
blowing. Sand induced breakdowns were frequent. *** During the year the Centurions were back loaded
and the Regiment gradually undertook light armoured patrols in groups consisting
of Ferret Scout Cars; Saracens; Stalwarts; Saladins; 432s and armoured Land
Rovers and 3 Tonners. An Air element, equipped with Sioux Helicopters, was
included in a newly created Reconnaissance Squadron. In December 1966, the
Regiment paraded as the last Armoured Regiment east of Suez, the salute was
taken by the Commander in Chief Middle East Command who said, "I'm proud of
the Tigers in my Tanks". Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, B Squadron sent
detachments to join units in action in Malaysia, as well as being involved in
internal security duties.

In January 1967, the
Regiment moved to Catterick, North Yorkshire to take over as the RAC Training
Regiment; less A Squadron who went to Berlin. For the next two years 1 RTR
was responsible for the training of recruits in the Royal Armoured Corps.
An operational troop of Chieftain Tanks was also maintained.

In January 1969, the
Regiment took over as the Armoured Regiment in Osnabruck, West Germany. A Sqn
rejoined the Regiment from Berlin and the Regiment was together for the first
time since September 1965. In early 1971 1 RTR became the third Regiment
to be equipped with Swingfire Anti Tank weapons. In August 1971 I joined the
Regiment from training at Catterick and Camberley. In 1971, 1 RTR was the
last of the Armoured Regiments to be re-equipped with the Chieftain Tank.

Between January and June
1972 the Regiment provided two rifle squadrons in northern Ireland. Based at the
Internment Camp at Long Kesh, the two squadrons, myself included, were employed
under the umbrella of the 13/18th Royal Hussars Group, performing internal
security duties, which included the guarding of the Internment Camp. Small
arms and explosives were used against the group and the Regiment were again
lucky in sustaining only 2 serious casualties. By July 1972, the Regiment
was reunited in Osnabruck. But then conversion training began almost
immediately to serve us for the next move, to Omagh County Tyrone as an Armoured
Recce Regiment.

In May 1973 the Regiment assumed responsibility for the counties
of Fermanagh and Tyrone in Ulster. Based at Lisanelly Camp, Omagh, for an
18 month tour. (It was during this phase that I left the Regiment for the first
time, in Sept 74, to return to Civvy Street.
November 1974), 1 RTR handed over control of the Tyrone & Fermanagh operational
area to 15/19H and moved to Tidworth (RHQ, HQ Sqn, A Sqn) and Hong Kong (C Sqn)
and conversion to CVR (T) Scorpion and the Swingfire missile equipped Mk 5
Ferret (GW Troop). B Sqn went to Cyprus as the Sovereign Base armoured car Sqn
for 6 months and then moved to Tidworth to take delivery of the very first CVR(W) Fox
armoured cars issued to the army. From Tidworth 1 RTR group (2 x Coys of 1 DWR
under command) completed a 6 month UN tour in Cyprus and for a short period of
time the entire regiment less C Sqn was in Cyprus wearing either a black or
light blue beret. Due to the phased run down of forces 'east of Suez' C Sqn
were not replaced in Hong Kong and have the distinction of being the last RAC
unit ever to be posted to the crown colony. The Regiment then prepared to hand
over once again to 15/19H and the move back to BAOR. **

St Angelo Enniskillen

St Angelo Enniskiilen

Omagh

In April 1976 1 RTR came
together once more in Germany as the Armoured Recce Regiment in 2 Armoured
Division, based at Herford. It was here the Regiment was equipped with
Scorpion and then Scimitar. I rejoined the Regiment here, with my new
family, in 1981.

During the
regiments 6 and a half years in Herford it completed 2 tours of Northern
Ireland. The entire regt less A Sqn did a 4 month tour of Londonderry & A Sqn
did a Prison Guard Force Tour at the Maze Prison. During the Herford years 1
RTR became the first regiment in the entire British Army to be equipped with the
Clansman radio system. We were also the first Regiment to be equipped with new
members of the CVR/T family of vehicles as they came on line. 1 RTR got the
first production Sultan's (Command Vehicles) Spartan's ( APC for
Assault/Surveillance Troop) Samaritan (Ambulance) & Samson the REME CVR/T. Due
to the temporary transfer of Anti Tank (Swingfire) responsibility to the Royal
Artillery, 1 RTR never received the Striker variant of CVR/T and the FV712
(Ferret Mk5) was not replaced in regimental service when it was withdrawn.
Scorpion was completely replaced in regimental service by Scimitar during this
period of time. The regiment was replaced in Herford by 13th/18th Royal Hussars
and returned to the UK in a move to Bovington and assume the role of RAC Centre
Regiment. A contribution from AG Hart - Jan
03.

In late 1982, the Regiment moved to Bovington Camp, assuming
the role of the RAC Centre Regiment. It was here that the Regiment
successfully converted to Chieftain MBT well within the time scale required; C Squadron went to Cyprus. The
Regiment returned to Germany in November 1984, to Hildesheim.
Here 1 RTR became the only Armoured Regiment to occupy these barracks, being part
of 22 Armd Bde; 1 Armd Div.
The move to Hildesheim was an arms plot move with a difference, 1 RTR replaced
5th Heavy Regiment RA and effectively increased the number of armoured regiments
in BAOR. The Chieftain tanks used to equip 1 RTR were in the main surplus
vehicles released by the newly converted "Challenger" regiments.
Needless to say SOXMIS (Soviet mission in West Germany, based in Bunde) were
rather interested in our Regiment.

Tofrek Barracks Hildesheim (Thanks to Ade Sutcliffe for
the image)

In September 1993 the Regiment moved
to Tidworth as part of 1 Mech Brigade.

April 1999 - A Squadron went to
Warminster at Combined Arms Training Centre.

2000 - Paderborn? No information
on this period.

2001 - The 1st Royal Tank Regiment is based at RAF Honington in
Suffolk with A Squadron being posted to Warminster. The Honington based soldiers
form the Joint Nuclear, Biological and Chemical
Reconnaissance Regiment. Equipped with Fuchs Reconnaissance Vehicles and
specialist vehicles mounted NBC detection equipment, they are trained and
prepared to move at short notice to any potential trouble spot. Currently they
have soldiers permanently located in Kuwait. Soldiers from A Squadron are
equipped with Challenger 2 and form part of the Combined Arms Training Centre.

22nd March 2003
The Jt NBC Regt deployed across the Kuwaiti/Iraqi border.The war had started.
The Jt NBC Regt was acting in support of a number of organisations both British
and American. The units supported included 1 UK (Armd) Div, 3 Commando Bde, 16
Air Assault Bde, JFLogC, 1 MEF and the Exploitation Task Force to name a few.
Within days of crossing the border UK forces were knocking at the doors of
Basrah.

1st April 2003.
From the Al Faw Peninsular, Az Zubar, Basrah and Um Qasr up to the Saddam Canal
at the north of the oil fields Jt NBC Regt Troops were fighting hard to support
all deployed UK forces. The land war was drawing to a close and the painful
steps of moving into the Peace Enforcement Role were looming.

12th May 2003.
The troops of the Jt NBC Regt were now fulfilling the role of Peace Enforcement
in the area north west of Basrah in and around the town of Al Qurnah. Al Qurnah
and its surrounds consisted of 90000 people living in urban and rural areas.
There was the enduring commitment of the search teams north of Baghdad and the
Special Monitoring Team (SMT) in Basrah.

6th June 2003.
The second month for the Regiment fulfilling Internal Security duties in Al
Qurnah and its surrounds. The area is known as the Garden of Eden, the area
where life on the planet was meant to have come from. The soldiers have now
experienced the truth about this area and have grown amongst themselves to
become more rounded and effective soldiers. The soldiers attached to the
Exploitation Forces in Baghdad were beginning to draw down, at the end of June
the majority of the regimental troops had returned to the UK.

5th July 2003: The
SMT is now based out of Basrah International Airport. They are being employed
mainly in the TIH and TIC role making sure that the deployed forces are safe
within their surroundings in a difficult and dangerous situation. The remainder
of the regiment enjoyed its return from the desert and promptly went on leave to
celebrate and reflect with their families. 20th Sept 2003. With a fresh line of
troops joining the regiment, a new Squadron has been formed. With the aim of
training the recruits to be of a fully rounded and professional standard to
serve in both the Sabre and Monitoring Squadrons.

18 Dec 2003. The
first Integrated Biological Detection Systems (IBDS) delivered to the Regiment.
We have now started the move to Full Operating Capability (FOC) proper and in
December we saw the arrival at the Regiment of the first 6 Integrated Biological
Detection Systems (IBDS). These are currently undergoing acceptance trials with
27 Squadron. IBDS will eventually replace PBDS although the new systems will be
trialed alongside existing equipments until sufficient IBDS have come on-line.

26th Feb 2004:
The Jt NBC Regt is still engaged in operations in Iraq. The past few months has
seen a much needed period of leave for the bulk of the Regiment as they have
returned from Iraq. The Regiment continued to support the Iraq Survey Group in
Baghdad. This was a unique opportunity for those involved and they flew the flag
well for the Regiment. We continue to provide a 12 man CBRN team in Basrah in
support of the British led multinational division. Our role enables us to
develop our capabilities alongside that of other nations, the team in Basrah is
engaged on operations alongside US, Norwegian, Dutch and Italian organisations.
The team supports the Biological Warfare detection matrix, conducts deliberate
recce and survey operations and maintains a Quick Reaction Force able to respond
to a wide range of hazards. They have been doing some excellent work and
continue to provide the commander with the confidence to operate when faced with
an uncertain and hazardous environment.

2004
- During the past 5 years the Regiment has been involved in military operations in Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Cyprus, UAE, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, in support of the UK foot & mouth bovine epidemic and a Fire strike. It has trained and exercised in Egypt, Canada, Scotland, Bahrain, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, France, USA and the Czech
Republic. When the Regiment reaches full operational capacity it will peak at a strength of 532. As the only NBC Regiment in the British Army its future is secure, for the foreseeable future that is, but with the knowledge that, in the event of major conflicts anywhere in the world involving UK Forces, the lads of 1 RTR will almost certainly be there, at the front!

2009 - Regiment still at Honnington, change of name? No longer affiliated with RAF Sqn. A Sqn still in
Warminster.

In August 2014, 1st Royal Tank
Regiment ceased to exist due to yet more amalgamations by cost cutting
Governments which reduced our royal Tank Regiments to just one.
The First, the Finest has past into history